Flange hinge



P. M. STEPHENS FLANGE HINGE July 9, 1940.,

Filed June 12, 1959 M Hm] M fife sham Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATE s r'n'rmr OFFICE FLANGE HINGE Paul M. Stephens, Ashland, Mo.

ApplicationJune 12, 1939, Serial No. 278,599

15 Claims.

) pillar and the adjacent edge of a doorto completely conceal the hinge from either side of the door, when the door is in a closed position.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a hinge including spaced superposed hinge 5 leaves for swingably mounting a door relatively to a door frame pillar and having means whereby the door will be moved outwardly of the door frame pillar as it is swung to an open position.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- 0 vide a hinge including a hinge leaf adapted to be fixedly mounted and a second hinge leaf adapted to be swingably mounted, said last mentioned leaf being of a novel shape and adapted to be secured to the hinged edge of a closure for moving ,5 the closure outwardly of the frame in which it is mounted, when it is swung to an open position.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a pair of spaced superposed hinge leaves having hinge pins. fixed thereto and swiv'elly connected :0 to each other for swingably mounting the leaves relatively to one another.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which 55 illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and

wherein- Figure 1 is a horizontalsectional view of a portion of a conventional motor vehicle door and door frame shown connected by means of the *9 improved hinge, which is shown partly in plan and partly in horizontal section.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 2--2 .of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view, partly in section, showing the hinge detached and showing indetail the means for swivelly connecting the hinge pins,

Figures 4 and 5 are horizontal sectional views so taken substantially along the planes of the lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the lower hinge leaf,

and

Figure 7, is a similar view of the upper hinge 55 leaf.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, l0 designates generally a portion of a flanged door, of the type conventionally used on motorvehicles, and H designates generally a portion of the door frame including a portion of the frame pillar l2. The door and door frame pillar are provided with complementary overlying flanges l3 and 14 at their outer and inner edges,

respectively, as best seen in Figure l. The pairs of flanges i3 and 3 overlap, as seen in dotted lines in Figure 1, when the door it is in a closed position to close the space between the hinged edge of the door and the pillar it, These parts are of conventional motor vehicle construction and are illustrated and described merely to bet ter illustrate the use and application'of the hinge designated generally 55 and comprising the invention.

Hinge 55 includes a lower leaf l6 provided with a plurality of spaced openings l! for receiving screw fastenings l8 to secure the hinge leaf it: of the hinge E5 to the pillar it. The leaf It has an enlarged end It provided with a bore 2E5 ex-' tending longitudinally therethrough, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described.

Hinge l5 also includes an upper leaf 2! including a rear side or wall 22, a front Side or wall spaced therefrom and disposed contiguously therewith, and an end portion 24 connecting sides 22 and 23. As best seen in Figure'l, the inner face of the side 22 curves inwardly or away from the side 23 as it approaches the end 24 so that theleaf' 2!, in the plan view, forms a gooseneck. The free end of the rear side 22 enlarged to form the end 25, similar to end l3, which is provided with a bore 26, corresponding to the bore 26, which extends longitudinally therethrough.

Portions l9 and 25 are each provided with a smaller bore 2'! which extend transversely therethrough and which communicate with the longitudinal bores 20 and 2B. The side 23 is provided with openings 28 to receive additional threaded fastenings l8, insertable therethrough from its inner face forengaging the edge of the door In to mount the door on the leaf 2| of the hinge l5.

The rear side 22 is provided with enlarged openings 29 which aline with the openings 28 forrcceiving a suitable tool, not shown, for applying or removing the last mentioned fastenings l8. Openings [T and 28 are beveled, as best seen in Figures 6 and 7, respectively, so that the headed 'ends of the fastenings l8' may be countersunk therein.

A hinge pin or bolt is provided with a shank 3| for removably engaging the bore 20 and which is snugly disposed therein. Shank 3| is provided with a transverse bore 32 to aline with the bore 21 of the portion Hi to receive a rivet or other fastening 33 for keying the bolt 3|! to the leaf IS. The lower, free end of the shank 3|, which is disposed substantially fiush with the lower edge of the portion I9, is provided with a threaded recess to receive the threaded shank of a bolt 34 having an enlarged head for engaging the lower end of the portion IS. A bolt, designated generally 35, is provided with a corresponding shank 3| mounted in the bore 26 of the hinge leaf 2| and secured thereto by a fastening 33 and a bolt 34 in the same manner as heretofore described in regard to the bolt 30.

The upper end of the bolt or pin 3|] is provided with a head, designated generally 36, having an enlarged lower portion 37 provided with a threaded periphery and a smaller upper portion 38 provided with a concave recess 39 in its upper face. The lower end of the bolt is provided with a head 4|] provided with a concave recess 4| in its lower face. The heads 36 and 4|] are disposed adjacent each other and between the adjacent edges of the hinge leaves l6 and 2|.

A socket nut 42 is provided with an opening 43 in its face for loosely engaging the shank 3| of the bolt or pin 35 adjacent the head to thereby position the bolt 40 within the upper portion of the socket 42. The lower end of the socket 42 is internally threaded to engage the threaded portion 31 of the head 35 to connect the bolts or pins 30 and 35 and the leaves It and 2|. To prevent socket nut 42 from turning relatively to the bolt head 36 and becoming accidentally disengaged, the threaded periphery of the portion 31 is provided with a groove 44 disposed laterally of its threads for receiving a set screw 45 mounted in the socket nut 42 to thereby key .the socket nut to the bolt or pin 30.

Head 4|) is loosely mounted in the socket nut 42 to rotatably mount it relatively to the bolt 30 so that the bolts or pins 30 and 35 are swivelly mounted relatively to each other. In order to prevent the weight of the hinge leaf 2| and the door It supported thereby from resting on the bolt or pin 39 or the socket nut 42 so as to cause friction, a ball bearing 45 is mounted in the concave recesses 39 and 4| to provide anti-friction means and to space the bolt or pin heads 35 and 43 from each other. The opposite'or upper face of the head 43 is provided with an annular groove 41, surrounding the shank 3| of the pin 35 while the socket 42, on its inner side and surrounding the opening 43 is provided with a similar annular groove, which grooves combine to form a raceway for a pluralityof small ball bearings 48 which cooperate with the ball bearing 45 to form anti-friction means to permit the bolt or pin head 40 to rotate freely in the socket 42.

From the foregoing it will be obvious, that the hinge i5 will permit the door Ill to swing freely relatively to the frame H and due to the gooseneck shape of the hinge leaf 2| the door IE] will move outwardly of the frame II as it is swung 'to an open position so that the flange portion l3 of door Hl will move outwardly and away from the complementary-portions iii of the pillar l2 so that the door it may be swung to a fully opened position, substantially at right angles to the door frame without the flange portions |3 contacting one another. When the door it is moved to a closed position, the pairs of flanges I3 and M will close the space between the door and the pillar E2 to completely .conceal the hinge l5 therein. Due to the fact that the hinge leaves It and 2| are disposed in superposed relationship relatively to each other, the width of this space may be made substantially less than would be possible if these hinged'leaves were in abutting relationship when the door was in a closed position.

Various modifications and changes are con- 1 head of the bolt of the lower leaf including an externally threaded portion, an internally threaded socket nut engaging said threaded por-, tion, and disposed between the adjacent edges of said leaves, means for keying said socket nut to said threaded portion, the head of said other bolt being loosely disposed in said socket nut above the head of said first mentioned bolt, and said socket nut having an opening at the top in which the shank of said last mentioned bolt is loosely disposed for rotatably mounting thelast mentioned bolt relatively to the first mentioned bolt to swingably mount the upper hinge leaf relatively to the lower hinge leaf.

2. A hinge as in claim 1, the adjacent faces of said bolt heads being provided with opposed.

concave recesses, and aball bearing disposed in said recesses for supporting the head of the upper bolt in spaced relationship to the head of the lower bolt.

3. A hinge as in claim 1, the adjacent faces of said bolt heads being provided with opposed concave recesses, a ball bearing disposed in said recesses for supporting the head of the upper bolt in spaced relationship to the head of the lower bolt, the opposite side of the head of the upper bolt being provided with an annular groove, surrounding its shank, said socket being provided with an annular groove on its inner side surrounding the opening contained therein, and

said annular grooves forming plurality of ball bearings. i i. A hinge as in claim 1, said upper leaf including spaced contiguous sides connected'by an end portion, remotely disposed relatively to the supported end of the leaf, and said outer side being provided with openings for receiving fas-tenings for securing it to aswinging closure. I 5. A hinge as in claim 1, the upper leaf of said hinge being provided with spaced contiguous sides connected by an end portion and forming a gooseneck, the free end of one of the sides being provided with a bore to receive'the shank of the last mentioned bolt, and said other side being apertured to receive fastenings for securin swinging closure thereto.

6. In a hinge, a pair of bolts dis-posed in end to end relationship, said bolts having heads ad. jacently positioned relatively to each other, a socket member detachably fixed to one of said heads and loosely enclosing the other head for swivelly mounting the last mentioned bolt relatively to the first mentioned bolt, and. hinge flaps fixed to said bolts.

'7. A hinge as in claim 6, the adjacent faces of, said bolt heads being provided with opposed a raceway for a arcuately shaped recesses, and a .ball bearing -2 versely to the threads, and a set screw mounted in the socket for engaging said groove to detachably key the socket to said first mentioned bolt.

10. A hinge as in claim 6, one of said flaps comprising a flap plate adapted to be secured to the pillar of a door frame, said other flap comprising a gooseneck member, the outer portion of said gooseneck member being adapted to be secured to a swinging closure.

11. In a hinge for swinging closures, a hinge comprising a pair of superposed spaced hinge leaves adapted to be disposed between a closure and a closure frame pillar, .one of said leaves being fixed to the pillar, said other leaf having an outwardly offset portion fixed to the closure for spacing it from the pillar, and means connected to said leaves, said means being swivelly connected to each other for swingably mounting the last mentioned leaf relatively to the first mentioned leaf, said means comprising bolts fixed to the hinge leaves, said bolts having heads disposed between the adjacent edges of said leaves,

and a socket member detachably connected to said heads for swivelly mounting the bolts relatively to each other.

12.1n a hinge for vehicle doors, a pair of hinge leaves disposed in superposed spaced relationship relatively to each other and between a pillar of a door frame and the adjacent edge of 'a door, one of said leaves being secured to said pillar, the other leaf being secured to said door, a hinge pin detachably fixed to each of said leaves, the adjacent ends of said pins being disposed between the adjacent edges of the leaves,

and means for swivelly connecting said adjacent ends.

13. A hinge as in claim 12, said means comprising a socket detachably fixed to the adjacent end of one of vsaid pins and loosely enclosing the adjacent end of the other pin.

14. A hinge as in claim 12, said means com-' prising a socket detachably keyed to one of said adjacent ends, said socket loosely containing said other adjacent end, said adjacent ends being provided with opposed concave recess-es, and a ball bearing disposed therebetween for spacing said ends from each other( 15. A hinge comprising a substantially fiat leaf, a second leaf having contiguous spaced portions provided with substantially flat, parallel outer sides, bolts fixed to'said leaves and having head portions disposed between adjacent edges thereof, and a socket member connecting said heads for swivelly connecting the bolts and for mounting the hinge leaves in superposed relationship.

PAUL M. STEPHENS. 

